Equipped and you will masked troops seize pastor and wife

To your evening of 21 September, a small grouping of equipped and you can masked dudes from inside the Russian otherwise DPR army clothing come to the newest Ponomaryovs’ household in trucks and no matter dishes. “Enjoying the new armed forces vehicle in place of numbers, neighbors arrived at emerge on the highway to ascertain what had took place,” local Baptists listed on step 3 Oct. “But they were purchased to go back domestic and not ahead aside Kinesisk pige dating Г¦gteskab.”

This new armed men stayed regarding the Ponomaryovs’ family for about a few and a half occasions. At this point it was black, but “the latest neighbours distinctly read groans and whines” given that masked men took Leonid and you may Tatyana out “during the a not known advice”, local Baptists told you.

Towards 22 Sep, chapel players tried to learn the whereabouts away from Leonid and you may Tatyana Ponomaryov. “But none next nor into subsequent months you are going to they receive any responses,” regional Baptists lamented. A police officer of Russian Indoor Ministry advised nearest and dearest which they shouldn’t care and attention while they would be freed immediately following new referendum, hence ended on the twenty-seven Sep.

Plus on 22 Sep, officials of your Russian field forces raided and you can searched the fresh new Kurchatov road Baptist Church, seizing religious literature and you will closing this building, regional Baptists noted.

Additional Protestant churches – including a minumum of one almost every other Council off Churches Baptist congregation – are nevertheless in a position to satisfy getting praise into the Mariupol. Some other Council of Church buildings congregation stored the Secure Festival worship provider toward Week-end 2 Oct “regardless of the latest situations”, regional Baptists noted.

Church professionals try to find forgotten pastor and spouse

On the 29 Sep, one or two pastors on the Russian town of Rostov-on-Don travelled to Mariupol to try to discover in which Leonid and Tatyana Ponomaryov are increasingly being held and just why they were captured. Plus Leonid’s cousin Viktor Ponomaryov, it decided to go to the latest DPR County Shelter Ministry, armed forces head office, Prosecutor’s Workplace and you will police. “However, at all these types of agencies they obtained the newest nearly the same response: ‘They’re not right here and then we have no idea in which he or she is.'”

The 3 following visited Donetsk to apply for answers from the DPR Indoor Ministry and Condition Shelter Ministry wonders police. “There also these were offered equivalent solutions,” local Baptists listed. The 3 next lodged an authored software to your DPR Interior Ministry. “The applying is actually recognized as well as was assured an answer inside 1 month.”

Since around three dudes have been back to Mariupol out-of Donetsk, police phoned him or her and you can questioned these to visit Leonid and you can Tatyana Ponomaryov’s domestic. Present within house was basically several detectives. “They questioned their sister Viktor plus the neighbors, blogged it down when you look at the brief then remaining,” regional Baptists said. Officers got refused to state in case your family members do get any responses.

“In every the meetings which have authorities of various organizations, when chapel users requested them to pick on their own none of one’s agents of the government would give their label, review or status,” church users indexed.

Youngsters interest having caught mothers

Into the step one Oct, the latest Ponomaryovs’ pupils awarded an announcement thanking church participants for prayers due to their moms and dads. “Having ten weeks already we realize nothing about them,” they composed. “A team of church players from Mariupol and you will Rostov went round all the firms and institutions, not just in Mariupol but in the neighborhood center [Donetsk], and you will was basically advised little regarding the our very own parents anywhere.”

The Ponomaryovs’ people added you to individuals places of worship was praying because of their parents and you will smooth into the 2 and you will step 3 Oct. They requested advice getting spread commonly.

For the a good 3 Oct report to the professionals and you will congregations in the world, the International Council off Churches required appeals into Ponomaryovs as delivered “Just off church buildings of Russian Federation”. (END)